Lorraine Versus The Fruit Flies

For the last few summers, Lorraine’s kitchen has been full of fruit flies. She worked out that the flies were attracted by a particular bin inside the building and that they went up through the walls into her kitchen. She was told that nothing could be done because the Council said the bin could not be moved. So she got organised.First, she decided on a winnable ask: replacing a door would stop any fruit flies reaching her kitchen.Second, she worked out who had power. With the help of a surveyor from her housing association, she set up a meeting with someone from the environmental health department in Hackney Council.Third, she built a team. She brought a petition signed by residents, and two other residents to the meeting, to make it clear that this was a problem that affected all residents.The meeting was a success: the council agreed that they would either move the bin or change the door!Lorraine first became involved in community organising through Shoreditch Citizens’ campaign for damp eradication in Aske House. She says that showed her what was possible: “because we’ve achieved it once with the damp you believe you can achieve it again.”How might God be calling you to work with your neighbours to transform Hoxton?